Steam-heating apparatus for railway-cars



(No Model.) T 2 SheetsSheet 1 J. EMERSON. STEAM HEATING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS,

INVBNTQR Patented Mar. 17

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY THE Norms PETERS co. PHOYD-LlTHQ, wnsumomm o. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

(No Model.)

J. EMERSON.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 314,006.

5 8 8 1 v L a d e t n e t a P.

1 WITliIBSSES: W I

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JAM-ES EMERSON, on WILLIMANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM HEATlNG APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY-CABS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,006, dated March 17, 18.85.

Application filed April 24, 1884. (No model.)

Io all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JAMES EMERSON, a citizen of the United States. residing at Willimansett, in the county of Hampden and State gofMassachusetts, have invented "new and useful Improvements in Steam-Heating Apparates for Railway-Cars, of, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for warming railway-cars by steam taken from the locomotive of the train, combinedwith-auxiliarymeans for warming connected with the car and with said devices, the object being to provide greater protection and safety for railway travelers against being burned with the car in case of accident to the train, by removing all stoves and live fires therefrom while the train is in motion. I

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of the floor of .a railway-car, showing the sides and ends in section, having applied thereto a circulatingsystem of steam-pipes and warming devices constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates the above-named circulating system of steam-pipes and warming devices separate from-the car. Fig. 3 is adetail'view.

In the drawings, D is the floor of the car; E, the sides, and w the platforms thereof.

A piece of flexible hose-such as is ordinarily used for making pipe-connections between carsis indicated by a, and by means of said hose and the requisite intermediate pipe-connections between it and the locomotive steam is taken from the latter and introduced into side of the door m, running to the corner of the car, and connecting with the main con- .ductingpipe b, which is properly covered to prevent the radiation of heat, and inclosed in a box,,J,'bui1t in the corner formed by the junction of the side E and floor D of the car, as shown in Fig. 3. The conducting-pipe 12 runs from end to end 'of the car, each end thereof being provided with suitable connections for taking or delivering steam, since either end of the car may be'nearer the locomotive. The pipes at are provided with stopvalves 2 and3, whereby more or less steam is allowed to enter pipe b or escape therefrom.

The" steam-circulating system of pipes and coils, which is connected directly with pipe b for warming the car,--is indicated by c. These pipes run along the side of the car above pipe 1),: and coils are arranged in a position to be under the car-seats,in theordinary man- .ner. In the drawings the pipe and coils c are shownconnected with the pipe b -at one end tional pipe-connection e, which carries steam over the car-door m to they pipes c on the op posite side of the car. The two sections of pipes e eone each side of the door m in Fig. l-are about on lines as 00, Fig. 2.

A drip-pipe, d, in which is avalve, d,'lead s from one of coils 0 under the floor of the car and enters boiler A, its end within the latter reaching nearly to the bottom thereof, as'shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The p ipedconducts the hot water of condensation from .pipes c to. the'boiler. The aforesaid pipe 6 is connected with pipe con one sideof the car, and with the pipes c and-t onv theopposite side. A stopvalve, g, is placed in pipe 1'. atits junction with the pipe e and near the connection of the latter with thepipe and coils c. The pipe and coils 07 extend from their junction with pipe eat one end of the car to the extreme end of the pipe h near the oppositeend, and the coils extinguishing the fire, and for sufficiently heating water in boiler A to convert itinto steam. The pipe h, tothe end of which the pipe 0' is connected, is a drip or return pipe,whose function is to conduct-water which is the result of condensation in the pipes and coils c into the boiler A. To this end the'pipe h passes through the head of boiler A and extends nearly to the bottom of the boiler, as shown in Fig. 2, that its lower end may be 5 continually submerged in the water.

A reservoir, K, is attached to the end of the vertical portion of pipe h,and a valve,.l3, is placed between the latter and the reservoir. \Vater contained in said reservoir may belet into the boiler through pipe h in case the latter requires water. Boiler A has an overflowcock, 7, in its side, through which water is allowed to escape while pipe h is conducting water into the boiler to keep the water at the height ofsaid cock. Adi-ain-eock, 8, is placed near the bottom of the boiler, through which all or a part of the water may be drawn there from.

The pipe 1', which is connected to the head of boiler A, is a li've-steam-conducting pipe connecting the boiler A with the pipes and coils c and with the pipe e, and by means of the latter with the pipes and coils c onthe opposite side of the car, if desired.

In practice the pipes It and t are boxed in the corner of the car in the manner described relative to pipe b.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: Steam is taken from thelooomotive, and through the connect-ions a between the cars is conducted through the pipe a to the main conducting-line b, and through the latter and said intermediate connections to all the cars of a train. Thus the pipes b of the cars constitute a steauysupply main running through the same, within which a certain pressure is maintained, sufficient to force an adequate supply of steam therefrom into the heating pipes and coils of the cars with which'said main is connected. The water of condensation which may collect in said supply-mainis let out of it by opening valves 5 and d and letting it pass through pipe d to the boiler, thus keeping the latter filled with hot water ready for any emergency in which the car requires to be kept warm independent of the steanrsupply from the locomotive. In warming the .pipes and coils c,-which are connected with pipe b, valve 2 being open, valves 5 and 4 are opened, letting steam flow into said pipes and coils, and any water of condensation in said pipes escapes through the pipe d to the boiler by opening valve d-. when it is desirable to warm a car quickly or to maintain more heat in the car, and condensation takes place rapidly, the car can be more quickly heated by closing valve 4 and opening valve 6, thus sending the steam over the door through pipe 6 and into pipes and coils a, from which the water of condensation enters the boiler A through pipeh; and to keep thewater in the boiler at-a certain level, and to dispose ofthe surplus thereof, the overflowcock 7 is kept open sufticiently to accomplish those ends.

Thus, as above described, by providing a supply-main in the cars for the reception of In very cold weather,-

steam from the locomotive and connecting therewith warming-coils on each side of the car, provided with proper drip-pipes, each car of a train is adequately and constantly supplied with sufficient steam to keep the cars warm and comfortable while the locomotive is connected with the train and the steam-main and its connections are unobstructed. When, however, the locomotive must for any cause leave the train or a part thereof standing on the road, or when one or more of the cars are switched ofi' on a side track to await further use,it is requisite and necessary that there be auxiliary means for warming or keeping the carer cars warm connected with each car and utilizing the same warming-pipes whieh', when the locomotive is connected with thecarsare supplied wi hsteam therefrom, and such is the purpose ot'the connection with the car and said system of heating-pipes of the boiler A, the operation of which and its connections is as follows:

As above described, the boiler has hot water constantly supplied I to it while steam is circulating in the pipes in the car, and is ready at all times to have afire lighted under it, whereby steam is generated for the pipes in it. When it is known that a car is to be detached from a train which it is desired to keep warm, the pipes c and c and the boiler A are tilled with live steam from the locomotive at such pressure as may be on pipe b, or as may be desired. The fire under the boiler is started and continued until the return of the locomotive, and then it is extinguished in order that there may be no fire on the car while the train is in motion.

XVhen a fire is lighted under the boiler, as above described, valves 6 and 4 are shut, provided only moderate warmth is required in the car, and the steam circulation from the boiler through pipe i into pipes a is confined to those heating-pipes, and the water of condensation therefrom is returned to the boiler through pipe h, and no considerable waste of water takes place; but what little there may be is replaced by drawing from reservoir K.

. If more heat be requiredin the ear, the steam from the boiler may be allowed to pass through pipe 6, and by opening valve6 to circulate in pipe b, and thence through valve 5, valve 3 being shut, the condensation escaping through pipe d to the boiler. VVhen connection is again made with the locomotive, the fire in the boiler is extinguished and the various valves are arranged as before, to provide for the circulation of steam from pipe b, and to conduct the condensation from the heating-pipes, as above described.

From the foregoing description of the construction and arrangement of the said carheating devices it will be seen that the room usually occupied by stoves in a car can be utilized for seat-room, as all the heating-pipes are so arranged as to be under or lower than the seats; that economy results from this mannor of heating, since it costs less to produce the heating agent on a comparatively large a train by a main pipe from the locomotive railway-cars by steam taken from the locomotravel with much greater comfort, and all dust and dirt caused by stoves are avoided.

scale, as it is done by the locomotive, than to heat by many separate stoves or boilers distributed through the several cars of a train; that the steady supply of steam from the 10- comotiveconduces toa regular and even temperature in the cars, whereby the passengers I am aware that it has been proposed to heat the cars of atrain by hot water passing through one or more circuits of pipes extending the entire length of the train and passing through the fire-box of a locomotive; also, that steam and water pipes extending through a series of cars from one heater, with auxiliary heaters in each car, have been devised; It has also been proposed to heat the cars of extending throughout the train and radiators .in each car connected therewith, but capable of being cut ofi' from the'main.

'What I claim'as my invention is 1. The within-described improved means'l for warming railway-cars by' steam taken from the locomotivemh'ich consist of a main steampipe running through the car and adapted to be connected with the locomotive, a series of warming-pipes located above and connected with said main steam -pipe, cut ofl valves inthe connections, and suitable drippipes connected with said warming-pipes, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. The within-described means for warming tive, which consist of a main steam-pipe running through the car and adapted to be connected with the locomotive, two series of warming-pipes, substantially as described, one located on each side of the car and connected r with saidmain steam-pipe,fcut'-ofif valves between said" series, and one or more drip-pipes connected withearfir-series of said'warmingpipes, combined and operatingsubstantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a .railway-car, of a main steam-supply pipe adapted to be connected with the locomotive, and one or more series of warming-pipes arranged above and connected with said main pipe, a boiler having a heating device, substantially as described, attached thereto and suspended under the car, one or more drip-pipes leading from said series of warming-pipes into said boiler, a steam-pipe leading. fromsaid boiler and adapted to convey steam therefrom to one (1 more of said series of warming-pipes, and means, substantial] y as describedyfor' controlling the flow-of steam from said boiler through- V 1 said warmingpipes, substantially asset forth;

4. The combination, ina'railway-car, of the series of pipes c', thev drip' pipe-h, the boiler -"A, having a suitable heating de'yipe attached thereto, the steam-pipe i, andvalvesin the connesting-pipes for controlling the flow 0% steam from the boiler through the pipes c,,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a railway-car, of the series of pipes c and c, the pipe 6, the drippipe h, the boiler A, having a. suitable heating device attached theneto, the steam-pipe i, and valves for controlling the fiow of steam from the boiler through the pipes c and c, substantially as set forth.

JAMES EMERSON.

Witnesses: V

H. A. CHAPIN, W. E. HOLT. 

